Miracle follows miracle as Elisha (whose name means God is Salvation) continues to help widows and barren women, hungry people and seekers of healing, establishing himself as the holy man of Israel. In this chapter he’ll tackle leprosy and teach a mighty man a lesson in humility.
But what is Elisha’s mission and the purpose of these many chapters outlining his holy work?
“The absence of a national agenda in the Elisha stories combined with the chronicle of serial miracle-making has led some to categorize these chapters as “Saints’ Legends,” a genre of literature that would have emerged from a devoted group of disciples about the wonders of their master. Is that what we have here?”
The hero of this chapter is Naa’man, one of the generals of the Aramean Kingdom - Israel’s enemy, responsible, most recently, for the war that claimed King Ahab’s life. But Naaman is also suffering from leprosy and seeks a cure. A young girl from Israel, taken captive during one of the recent battles, is a slave in Naa’man’s household and at some point she recommends to her mistress the treatment of the famous holy man from her homeland. Naa’man, apparently desperate, goes on a diplomatic mission to enable him to visit Elisha although it’s across enemy lines.
He’ll huff and puff, and at first resist and refuse Elisha’s seemingly simple treatment, but then he succumbs. The prophet instructs him to dip in the Jordan river, seven times:
He went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had bidden; and his flesh became like a little boy’s, and he was healed.
Once he’s healed, the general is full of gratitude and praise, regretting his former rancor and pride. He offers gifts, which Elisha refuses, and goes on his way back home.
Beyond showing us how holy Elisha is and how powerful - what is this story about?
Alex Israel suggests that’s it’s about the lesson of humility, with a bit of an ironic twist:
“In a deliberate expression of subversive irony, Naaman’s salvation shall emerge from the character of the lowest standing, the Israelite maidservant. At the outset we are struck by the enormous chasm between the “young girl” and the “great man”. The inversion of the power structure undercuts the aforementioned hierarchy as the simple, powerless slave child will save the powerful general. This is reinforced by the indication that after Naaman is healed, his skin reverts to that of a “young boy” –(5:14), a clear allusion to the “young girl” who was so instrumental in his recovery. His healing is due to her, and he shall end the story by sharing in her veneration of Elisha.
This riveting story is a poignant but simple meditation upon the values of society and religion. It is not the grand ceremonies and gestures but the contrite heart that God sees; not opportunistic manipulation but pure, straightforward honesty and humility that stand before God. Our societies are built such that everyone is entangled in a web of authority and social standing. We imagine that our career, our appointments, and our financial situation grant us authority or rights and privilege. But the truth may come from the mouth of the “little girl.” Our titles and positions can become a mask that we hide behind. “
There’s an odd ending to this story that strengthens this reading of the chapter. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, runs after the healed general and despite Elisha’s refusal to benefit from the healing miracle, gets Naa’man to pay up handsomely. When Elisha finds out he throws in one more supernatural gesture - Gehazi himself becomes a leper - another twist in the plot that comes to teach us about humility and honesty, being in the service of the sacred and in service to healing humanity, one dip at a time.
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